On the opening day of the Yangmingshan Flower Festival Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) expressed his hope, that this year’s festival can attract at least the 1.3 million tourists that were seen last year. Everything indicates that his hopes will be fulfilled – Yangmingshan National Park is now definitely one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taipei, judged by throngs of visitors which have surged into the park since the start of the festival.

So what are the main activities of people admiring these cherry trees? The simplest and the most adequate answer would probably be taking pictures. It is very common to see people standing in lines and waiting for their turn to take a perfect picture in a perfect spot. Those who are as not interested in pictures seem to find more joy in having picnics in the scenic area.

In order to entertain visitors in a more diverse way, this Sunday (March 4) there was a books exchange and free tea tasting event, which was organized by the National Taiwan Library. The Puncar Association (胖卡東協會) provided the event with food trucks offering various kinds of snacks and drinks. The event took place close to the Flower Clock (花鐘).

Those who plan to visit the Yangmingshan National Park to admire cherry blossoms are advised to do so before March 25, which is the last day of the cherry blossom phase of the festival.